By: Ashlee Krawczyk, Employer Engagement Specialist
In the previous two entries in this series we highlighted companies like MaidPro and Rush University Medical Center which understand the workforce was not built for working mothers – inflexible schedules, strict 90 day probation policies, and access to quality jobs are just a few of the barriers our moms face – and have made adjustments to create accessibility.
These companies offer our moms quality jobs, professional development and networking opportunities. Moms can also count on these employers to understand their role as mothers, hear their concerns and make adjustments for them.
Helping families achieve economic mobility is just one of the benefits of our employer partnerships. Our employers also see benefits when partnering with our Job Training Program including saved time and money. Our Job Training team acts as an extension of an employers’ HR department and all of our services are free.
New Moms not only refers candidates for positions, but also prescreens their qualifications for employers. Our Career Coaches play a large role in job matching, so we only refer candidates we feel would be a good fit for a position.
“As Career Coaches, we work diligently to ensure that our candidates have addressed any situations that may be a hindrance to a successful career with our employer partners,” said Musa Macenyane, a Career Coach at New Moms. “We also provide ongoing support for both employees and employers to ensure a long and successful partnership.”
Jennie Misner, Owner of Venture Imports, LLC and New Moms employer partner said, “Our main mission has always been to employ people in the Global South. As we’ve grown, I realized we should extend our mission to the US. Our company is all about creating employment so New Moms was a perfect fit.”
Misner came to New Moms in early 2019 looking for a Warehouse Assistant. She said that other organizations could offer temporary workers, but New Moms had candidates looking for permanent, long-term positions.
“We were quite desperate for warehouse help and I didn’t have time to even do interviews,” Misner said. “New Moms was recommended to us by another community organization, and they were a lifesaver! They were able to almost immediately recommend someone to help us out.”
Julissa is a job training alum who has worked at Venture Imports for over a year and a half now. As a Warehouse Assistant, Julissa handles online orders, enters shipping information, prints invoices and packs orders accordingly. Julissa said she enjoys moving around and learning new things at work each day and appreciates the flexibility of her job.
“Being a mom and working is pretty stressful at times, especially when things come up like me or my daughter being sick or having no childcare,” Julissa said. “Unlike other jobs I’ve had before, [Jennie] has always been understanding and compassionate. She makes sure I’m okay, and if for any reason I need to leave, she completely understands. I also have the opportunity to make up my hours if I need to.”
Julissa also credits New Moms for her success on the job. From communicating with supervisors to taking accountability for her actions, Julissa said that New Moms prepared her for her role at Venture.
“[New Moms] taught me about time management, which I use every day to get tasks done around the warehouse,” Julissa said. “Also, New Moms helped me learn to cope with mom life and work and dealing with stress.”
Both Jennie and Julissa encourage others to partner with New Moms, either as an employer or a participant. Both acknowledge that New Moms contributed to Julissa’s smooth transition into permanent employment.
“I’m grateful for having the opportunity to work at Venture,” Julissa said. “I have learned so much and enjoy coming to work everyday. If it wasn’t for [New Moms], I wouldn’t have found this job and been prepared for it.”
If your business is interested in becoming an employer partner, you can fill out our “Hire a Graduate” form through our website. A member of the Job Training team will connect with you about next steps and answer all of your questions!
Check out our other employer partner spotlights – MaidPro and Rush.